Mumbai: Gautam Gambhir would join the Indian set up during the Sri Lanka tour. Gambhir, who would be on his first assignment as India head coach, has made a special request to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. As per a report on the Indian Express, Gambhir wants Rohit and Kohli to feature in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The two cricketers are on a break and are not in the country and hence it would be interesting to see if Rohit and Kohli oblige to Gambhir’s request or not. Kohli and Rohit recently retired from T20Is after helping India clinch the T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Gambhir gave an emotional tribute to all the KKR fans through a two-minute and 30-second video on Tuesday as he embarks on a new journey with the Indian cricket team. Following his return to KKR for IPL 2024 as a mentor, the Kolkata-based franchise lifted their third IPL title, thus paving the way for Gambhir to be considered as the perfect fit to replace Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.
Notably, it was under Gambhir’s leadership, KKR won two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. Incidentally, the southpaw who was a part of two World Cup wins, couldn’t say No to an India job, thereby leaving his favourite IPL franchise after just one year in mentorship.
“I smile when you smile. I cry when you cry. I win when you win. I lose, when you lose. I dream when you dream. I achieve when you achieve. I believe with you and I become with you I am you Kolkata, I’m just one of you. I know your struggles and I know where it hurts. The rejections have crushed me but like you, I wake up embracing hope. I get beaten every day but like you, I’m yet to be defeated. They tell me to be popular, I tell them to be a winner. I am you, Kolkata I’m just one of you. This Kolkata air talks to me. The sounds, the streets here, the traffic jams. They all convey how you feel. I hear what you say, but I know what you mean. I know you’re emotional. So am I. I know you’re demanding. So am I. Kolkata, we are a bond. We are a story. We are a team,” he said in the video.
